official data (CAL FIRE incident pages and incident list for the Norte, Henderson and Bryson fires, Oct 19 and 20; OCFA via CAL FIRE)
Santa Ana fires: Henderson and Bryson fully contained, Norte Fire at 92%
WILDFIRE // ORANGE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
570acres
Norte Fire, San Clemente: 25% contained, six homes damaged or destroyed (CAL FIRE)
The first Santa Ana fires of the season are nearly out. Two are fully contained and the Norte Fire is at 92%, and people in south Orange County have been allowed home.
Key facts
- Norte Fire
- 570 acres, 92% contained (CAL FIRE incident list, updated 8:14 PM PDT Oct 20); six homes damaged or destroyed (OCFA via CAL FIRE, Oct 17)
- Norte evacuations
- Orders for San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano lifted, with Via La Mirada closed north of Esperanza (OCFA repopulation update on the CAL FIRE page)
- Henderson Fire
- 3,260 acres, 100% contained (CAL FIRE incident list, Oct 20); one structure destroyed, Camp Pendleton
- Bryson Fire
- 146.2 acres, 100% contained (CAL FIRE incident list, Oct 20), near Encinal Canyon Road, Malibu
Grasses and other vegetation remain extremely dry and will continue to pose a fire risk until significant, soaking rainfall occurs.
Henderson Fire morning briefing, Oct 17, via CAL FIRE
Note
CAL FIRE's incident list now shows the Norte Fire in San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano at 570 acres and 92% contained, as of 8:14 PM PDT on Tuesday, October 20. It started at 11:33 AM on Friday, October 16, and damaged or destroyed six homes. A repopulation update from the Orange County Fire Authority on the fire's CAL FIRE page says evacuation orders for San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano are lifted, with Via La Mirada closed north of Esperanza so crews can keep working.
The Henderson Fire on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is listed at 3,260 acres and 100% contained, with one structure destroyed. Near Malibu, the Bryson Fire is 146 acres and also 100% contained.
The fires are nearly out. The brush is still dry, and the season is just starting.
Why it matters
This was only the first Santa Ana event of the season, and it lit three significant fires in two days across three counties. The fuels that carried them are still dry until soaking rain arrives.
Sources
- CAL FIRE: Norte Fire incident page (Orange County Fire Authority)
- CAL FIRE: Henderson Fire incident page (Camp Pendleton Fire Department)
- CAL FIRE: Bryson Fire incident page (Los Angeles County Fire Department)
- Hero data: CAL FIRE incident page, Norte Fire
Primary + secondary attribution as listed.
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